A RISE in deaths on Dumfries and Galloway’s roads has been described as ‘troubling’ – by a spokesman for a road safety charity.

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Figures released by Transport Scotland this week revealed that there had been a rise in people killed on the region’s roads from 11 in 2015, to 14 in 2016, with the number of those seriously injured remaining the same at 58.
These statistics have led to Brake, the road safety charity, calling on the European Commission to urgently update new vehicle safety standards, and the UK Government to set up a Road Collision Investigation Branch, in order for lessons to be learned and to help prevent future deaths.
Commenting on the news, Brake spokesman Jason Wakeford said: “Today’s figures are deeply troubling. It’s shocking to see more fatalities on Scotland’s roads last year, and more children, cyclists and motorcyclists needlessly losing their lives.
“Today’s statistics show that, while progress is being made toward some of the 2020 Scottish Road Safety Framework targets, there is far more work to be done.
“We must strive for a vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads. We urge the Scottish Government to implement a default 20mph limit in built up areas, accompanied by additional speed enforcement on roads by the police.
And V Division roads policing Inspector Campbell Moffat, based in Dumfries, said: “Any rise in the numbers of people killed in road traffic crashes is never welcome.
“Through the local Dumfries and Galloway Road Safety Partnership we will continue to target the causes of road crashes in general.
“These include speeding, dangerous and careless driving, mobile phone offences, drink driving, and those road users who we class as vulnerable on our roads such as pedestrians, cyclists, motor cyclists and horse riders through the routes of education and enforcement.”

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Next issue published Friday 23rd March 2018.